Alice Rohrwacher's 'Happy as Lazzaro' (2018) is a mesmerizing blend of social realism and magical fable that earned the Cannes Best Screenplay award. The film follows Lazzaro, a preternaturally kind young peasant living with his family in the isolated rural community of Inviolata, who are kept in feudal servitude by the cunning Marchesa Alfonsina de Luna. Rohrwacher crafts a poignant critique of exploitation and capitalism through this setup, before executing a breathtaking narrative shift that transports Lazzaro decades forward in time, confronting the modern world with his unchanged, saintly innocence.

Adriano Tardiolo delivers a remarkable, mostly silent performance as Lazzaro, his serene presence anchoring the film's mystical tone. Nicoletta Braschi is equally compelling as the manipulative Marchesa. Rohrwacher's direction is masterful, using 16mm film to create a textured, timeless visual quality that bridges the pastoral past and the alienating present. The screenplay brilliantly balances sharp social commentary with elements of folkloric wonder, asking profound questions about goodness, time, and human nature.

Viewers should watch 'Happy as Lazzaro' for its unique cinematic voice—a film that feels both ancient and urgently contemporary. It's a moving, often surprising meditation on purity in a corrupt world, executed with poetic grace and intellectual depth. The film's gentle pacing and enigmatic atmosphere create a truly immersive experience that lingers long after the credits roll.